Internal-combustion engine

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Drawing sheet — no readable text.

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Patented Aug. 21, 1951 2,565,068

UNITED STATES PATENT office reactorian walter Drabold, Detroit, Mich.

Application July 29, 1948, serial No. 41,275

This invention relates to internal combustion operation of the engines where it was installed, engines and more particularly to means for im in some instances without any apparent reasons proving combustion of charges supplied to en therefor such improvement was not as consistant gine cylinders. . . . . . . and marked as in others. I have further dis It has been appreciated in the art that intro covered that the above difficulty is due to the fact duction of a small amount of water vapour into that because of the violence of the process of the combustion chamber of a gasoline engine to electrolysis a considerable proportion of water gether with the regular combustible charge sup is carried into the cylinders either in the form plied by the carburetor and consisting of mixture of vapour or in the form of minute water particles of air and gasoline vapour in a predetermined O which are constantly shot off from the surface proportion, tends to improve combustion of the of the water, which surface is constantly dis charge and operation of the engine. Various ex rupted by the rising gas bubbles. A similar planations of the above phenomenon have been phenomenon may be observed, for example, by offered by those skilled in the art. One of the most commonly accepted explanations is to the 15 holding a glass of carbonated water against the light. The particles of water, due to their greater effect that upon ignition of the charge due to weight and the operation of the centrifugal force exceedingly high temperature attained at the at the turns of the intake manifold, may not be moment of highest pressure in the cylinder the distributed evenly among the cylinders, and some water decomposes into its constituent gases, hy cylinders may get excessive amount of water mist drogen and oxygen, which gases are immediately 20 while others get very little of it, if any. Evapora ignited and combine again to form water vapour tion of water into steam and its decomposition with liberation of heat. While it is also ap into oxygen and hydrogen take considerable preciated that thermo-dynamically no heat is amount of heat; also the time consumed thereby actually gained in such a process, since the heat is appreciable when compared with the , dura realized by the combustion of the oxygen and 25 tion of a piston stroke, which may last as little, hydrogen so produced is equal to the heat con as one hundredth of a second. Therefore, com Sumed in decomposing the water, it is thought bustion of the cylinder charge during working that the observed improvement in engine per strokes in some cylinders may be disorganized formance results from smoothening of the pres rather than aided by the introduction of Water Sure curve during the working stroke of the 30 mist therein. This, in turn, may affect the dy piston, producing more uniform pressure thereon namic balance of the engine, producing rough Op throughout the working stroke, and decreasing eration of the engine, thus completely destroying the tendency of the charge to detonate. It will the benefit which could be derived by a proper ad be understood, however, that I do not wish to dition of hydrogen; and oxygen mixture, to the be bound by the above scientific theory which, 35 charges of the engine cylinders. : . . . .. . . . . . . while prevalent in the art, may or may not be correct. One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved method of decomposing

I have discovered that much superior and more water and supplying the resulting gases to engine uniform results can be attained if the water is cylinders, by virtue of which method the above already decomposed and it is already the com 40 disadvantages are overcome and largely elimi bustible mixture of hydrogen and oxygen that nated, and the advantages expected from addi enters the engine cylinder. An apparatus based tion to the cylinder charges of a mixture of hy on the above discovery is disclosed in my U. S. drogen and oxygen are fully realized. . . .. Patent. No. 1,876,879. In that device I utilize Another object of the present invention is to electric current from the engine storage battery 45 provide an improved method of the above char to decompose water by electrolysis and conduct acter whereby passage of water to the engine the mixture of hydrogen and oxygen so produced cylinders is prevented and evaporation of the to the engine carburetor, introducing such mix ture into the carburetor with the aid of a special water in the process of electrolysis is reduced to a minimum.

conduit at the discharge end of the Venturi pas 50 A further object of the invention is to provide Sage thereof. I also utilize the oxygen and hy an improved apparatus for decomposing water drogen liberated from the storage battery of the engine by collecting said gases and discharging and supplying the resulting gases to the engine

them into the carburetor by the same conduit. A further object of the invention is to provide While the above device has materially improved 55 an improved apparatus of the above character

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having means to maintain the discharge of gases be necessary for a proper understanding of the by the generator substantially uniform irrespec present invention.

tive of the changes in the water level in the In accordance with my improved method form water container of the generator. a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen by decom A still further object of the present invention posing water by electrolysis in a suitable con is to provide an improved method and means tainer. In order to prevent the gases produced preventing the flow of water into the engine by by electrolysis from carrying water into the en the capillary action in the gas tubes or conduits. gine cylinder as well as to prevent excessive sur A still further object of the invention is to face evaporation of the water, I keep the water provide an improved hydrogen-oxygen generator () covered with a layer of liquid which does not dis for internal combustion engines, which gener Solve in water, does not readily evaporate, floats ator is constructed as a self-sustained unit and on water and is capable of preventing passage of may be easily installed in any gasoline engine water particles. I have found that a layer of low without making changes in such engine, and can melting wax-like material, such for instance as be just as easily removed therefrom, if desired. paraffin which is inexpensive and stable, gives A still further object of the invention is to very satisfactory results. Thus the gases pro provide apparatus of the foregoing character duced by electrolysis must first pass through a which is compact, simple in construction, de layer of molten wax before they can enter the pendable in operation, is easy to Service and in intake conduit of the engine. By covering the expensive to manufacture. 20 Surface of the water, the wax prevents not only Other objects of this invention will appear in water particles from breaking away from the sur the following description and appended claims, face constantly broken by the rising bubbles of reference being had to the accompanying draw gases but it also decreases evaporation of the ing forming a part of this specification, wherein water from the surface. Moreover, the water like reference characters designate correspond particles entrapped by the wax are returned to ing parts in the Several views. the general mass of water in the container, which Fig. 1 is a view of an internal combustion eliminates the necessity of replenishing the water engine embodying the present invention. in the container too often. These advantages Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken in the direction could not be realized, if a separate water trap of the arrows on the Section plane passing 3) was used. In addition, it should be realized that through the Section line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and illus by covering the walls of the receptacle and of the trating my hydrogen-oxygen generator sepa gas conveying tubes or conduits, a thin film of rately. wax prevents their "wetting' by water and inter Fig. 3 is a top view of the device of Fig. 2. rupts flow of water to the cylinders caused by its Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken. 3 adherence to said walls and movement toward in the direction of the arrows on the section the cylinders by the frictional action of the mov plane passing through the line 4-4 of Fig. 3. ing gases.

Before explaining in detail the present inven For carrying out the above method I prefer to tion it is to be understood that the invention is use the apparatus illustrated in the drawing. Said apparatus is, in effect, a hydrogen-and not limited in its application to the details of 0 Oxygen construction and arrangement of parts illus generator and it comprises a glass recep trated in the accompanying drawing, since the tacle 20 having a top cover designated by the invention is capable of other embodiments and numeral 2, and a bottom support 22 connected of being practiced or carried out in various ways. to the cover 2 by means of long studs 2 carried Also it is to be understood that the phraseology by said bottom support. The studs 23 pass or terminology employed herein is for the pur through holes in the cover 2 and have nuts 24 pose of description and not of limitation. Par provided on their upper ends. A cover gasket 25 ticularly it should be noted that while the hy is provided between the edges of the receptacle 2 drogen and oxygen are produced by decomposi and the cover 2. By screwing the cover on the tion of water molecules and the liquid or electro 50 receptacle (or vice versa) the gasket 25 is con lyte used in my device is referred to herein as pressed and seals the cover on the receptacle. "water,' this term is employed to mean any By tightening the nuts 24, the bottom support 22 suitable electrolyte, such for instance as water is drawn tightly against the bottom of the re with a quantity of potassium hydroxide dissolved ceptacle, a rubber ring 26 being provided to effect in it. Such a composition of the electrolyte ef 5 5 tight and resilient support of the receptacle. If fects desired electric conductivity and prevents desired, the complimentary screw threads on the hard freezing of the liquid in winter time. top portion of the receptacle 2D and on the cover In the drawing there is shown, by way of ex may be omitted, in which case tightening of the ample, an internal combustion engine embodying 80 cover the 2 on the receptacle is effected solely with aid of the nuts 24. The cover 2 has a the present invention. The engine shown is of bracket 27 by which the device is attached to the the gasoline type and it includes a carburetor 0 engine or vehicle structure at any suitable place the combustible mixture forming portion where thereof with the aid of screws 2. of is operatively connected with the aid of a suit The cover 2 carries two electrodes 0 and 3 able conduit to the engine manifold, and an . 65 extending virtually to the bottom of the recep exhaust conduit or manifold 2. A storage bat tacle 20 and electrically connected to the terminal tery 3 is mounted in close proximity to the of the battery 3. The electrode 30 is secured engine and is electrically connected thereto in a directly to the cover 2 by a screw thread con manner well known in the art for supplying elec nection as indicated at 32 and is thus grounded tric current to various devices of the engine and 70 On the cover and the engine structure being thus, the vehicle. One terminal of the battery is in effect, connected to the grounded terminal of grounded on the vehicle and engine structure as the battery 3. The electrode 3 is electrically shown at 4. The construction so far described insulated from the cover 2 with the aid of an is well known in the art and no description of insulating plug 29 and is provided with a terminal other conventional parts thereof is believed to 75 to which an electric wire 34 leading from the

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5 6 - terminal 35 of the battery 3 is detachably con ceptacle 20 are heated by conduction and the Wax nected. A switch 36 is interposed in said conduit is quickly melted and is maintained in molten 34 and is mounted on the dash board of the condition as long as the engine is running or re vehicle for convenient operation. By virtue of mains hot. - the above construction electric current is supplied In operation, as the gases are liberated by to the electrodes 30 and 3 to effect decomposi the action of the electric current and rise in the tion of water into hydrogen and oxygen. Opera form of bubbles from the electrodes 30 and 3, tion of the device is started and terminated at they pass through the wax layer and are col will of the operator by the use of the Switch 36. lected at the top of the receptacle. In order to The switch 36 may be the conventional Switch 0. collect the gases at the top of the receptacle, a controlling ignition of the engine, thereby en gas-receiving chamber is provided thereat, which suring that my hydrogen-oxygen generator oper chamber is formed between the cover 2 and a ates only when the engine is running, and is Splash or shield plate 46. The plate 46 is car switched on and off automatically in the process ried by the cover 2 f with the aid of the insula of controlling the engine and without any special 15 tion plug 29 through which the electrode 3 f is attention on the part of the operator. As an paSSed being, however, electrically insulated alternative, the wire 34 may be connected to the therefrom. A nut 47 is provided on the electrode electric generator line ahead of relay cut-out. 3 for tightening the splash plate in its place. With such a connection the device will operate The plate 46 is provided with an opening 48 for only when the engine is running. A tube 37 is 20 the passage of the electrode 30 and is thus elec provided to lead the gases resulting from elec trically insulated therefrom. The plate 46 pre trolysis to the intake conduit of the engine, intro vents Splashing of the wax and water and their ducing said gases thereinto. The tube 37 is pro reaching the engine when the vehicle goes over rough ground.

vided with threaded connections 39 and 44 for convenient attachment to the cover 2 and the 25 It will now be understood in view of the fore carburetor, respectively. As an alternative, the going that my improved device operates to de tube 37 may be connected to the windshield wiper liver to the engine cylinder rectified mixture of vacuum line with the aid of a T-connection in hydrogen and oxygen ready to be ignited without serted between the metal tube and the rubber the necessity of evaporating the water and de hose of said line. 30 composing it in the engine cylinder. In con The electrodes 30 and 3... are made converging Sequence thereof the engine shows marked and toward the bottom of the receptacle. As the Wa consistent improvement in its performance, and ter level in the receptacle 20 goes down, the Sur the tendency of forming carbon deposits in the face area of the electrodes through which the combustion chamber thereof is greatly decreased. electric current flows decreases, thus increasing 35 This, in turn, decreases still further the tendency the resistance of water mass to the flow of the of the charges to detonate. It has also been electric current and decreasing its strength pro found that the amount of carbon monoxide in portionally. This, in turn, decreases the gas the engine exhaust is reduced in an unexpectedly generating capacity of the device. Convergence large degree indicating more efficient combustion of the electrodes operates to counteract the above 40 of charges. This feature has important Safety undesirable tendency. The angle of Convergence implications since carbon monoxide poisoning of I of the electrodes is determined experimentally vehicle operators in garages or even while driv to effect a substantially uniform performance of ing is not infrequent.

the device. An angle of approximately 15 de The device is very simple, is readily under grees gives very satisfactory results for average stood not only by a garage mechanic, but also by conditions. an average driver handy with tools, and it can A filling opening normally closed with the aid be easily installed in virtually any motor ve hicle.

of a plug 4 is provided on the cover 2 in order to enable the operator to replenish the water in By virtue of the above described method and the receptacle from time to time. Transparency the provision of the device for Carrying out the of the glass receptacle 20 eliminates the need for Sane, the objects of the present invention and any indicators of the water level in the recep numerous additional advantages are attained. tacle. I claim:

In accordance with the invention a layer 42 of 1. In an internal combustion engine having a wax-like material, such as paraffin, is maintained carburetor and an exhaust manifold, a device for on top of the water mass in the receptacle. In decomposing water by electrolysis, said device order to ensure that the wax melts within a few including a water receptacle capable of holding minutes after the engine is started, a heat con a predetermined quantity of water and a layer ducting member 43 in the form of a copper tube of molten paraffin on the top of the water, means is provided. The member 43 has one end con 60 to conduct heat to said layer from the exhaust nected to the cover 2 f by means of a threaded pipe manifold to maintain it in molten state, means connection 44, while its opposite end is adapted to collect the gases produced by electrolysis after to be connected to a hot portion of the engine they pass through said molten layer, and a con structure, such as the exhaust gases conduit or duit delivering Said gases into the carburetor. manifold. Such a connection may be effected 65 2. An engine as defined by the preceding claim in any suitable manner such as by winding the 1, Said engine having a storage battery and an tube 43 around the exhaust conduit as shown electrical conductor to conduct the current from . at 45. The end of the tube 43 may be left open. said battery to said device.

When the engine is operating, the air is sucked 3. A hydrogen-oxygen generator adapted to be through this end and upon mixing with the gen 70 operatively connected to an internal combustion erated gases flows into the engine. This open end engine having an intake conduit, and a storage also provides an escape for the gases should the battery, said generator comprising a receptacle ignition Switch be left on without starting the adapted to hold a predetermined quantity of engine. By virtue of Such a construction the water and a layer of molten wax on top of the ?over 2 together With the electrodes and the re s water, two electrodes arranged within said re

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ceptacle to be immersed in water and electrically 8. A hydrogen-oxygen generator adapted to be connected to the terminals of the storage battery operatively connected to an internal combustion for passage of electric current to said electrodes engine having an intake conduit, an exhaust to effect decomposition of water in said receptacle gases conduit and a storage battery, said Ben by electrolysis, means to collect the gases pro erator comprising a glass receptacle adapted to duced by electrolysis above said layer of Wax, a hold a predetermined quantity of water, a cover conduit adapted to conduct the collected gases detachably connected to said receptacle to seal into said engine intake cunduit, and means and support the same, two electrodes carried by adapted to conduct heat from the engine to said cover and extending substantially to the the wax for maintaining the same in molten 0. botton of the receptacle, said electrodes being condition. electrically insulated from each other and 4. A hydrogen-oxygen generator adapted to be adapted to be connected to said battery for pas operatively connected to an internal combustion sage of electric current to said electrodes to effect engine having an intake conduit, an exhaust decomposition of water in said receptacle by elec gases conduit and a storage battery, said gener 5 trolysis, a shield plate carried by one of said elec ator comprising a receptacle adapted to hold a trodes and insulated from the other electrode, predetermined quantity of water and a layer of said plate being spaced from said cover to be dis molten wax on top of the water, two electrodes posed above the liquid level in said receptacle and arranged within said receptacle to be immersed to form between itself and said cover a gas in water and electrically connected to the ter collecting receptacle, a pipe connection leading minals of the storage battery for passage of from Said chamber and adapted to be connected electric current to said electrodes to effect de to the engine intake conduit for passage of gases composition of water in said receptacle by elec thereinto.

trolysis, a shield plate mounted in said receptacle 9. A construction as defined by the preceding above the wax, a gas collecting chamber formed 25 clain 8, with electrical connection of one of said above said shield plate, and a conduit leading electrodes with the battery being effected through from said chamber into the engine intake con said cover and the structure of the engine. duit for passage of gases thereinto. 10. A hydrogen-oxygen generator adapted to be 5. A hydrogen-oxygen generator adapted to be operatively connected to an internal combustion operatively connected to an internal combustion engine having an intake conduit, an exhaust engine having an intake conduit, and a storage gases conduit and a storage battery, said gen battery, said generator comprising a receptacle erator comprising a glass receptacle adapted to adapted to hold a predetermined quantity of hold a predetermined quantity of water and a water and a layer of molten wax on top of the layer of wax on top of it, a cover detachably con water, two electrodes arranged within said re nected to said receptacle to seal and support the ceptacle to be immersed in water and electrically Same, two electrodes carried by said cover and connected to the terminals of the storage battery extending substantially to the bottom of the re for passage of electric current to said electrodes ceptacle, said electrodes being electrically in to effect decomposition of water in said receptacle sulated from each other and adapted to be con by electrolysis, a shield plate mounted in said (0 nected to said battery for passage of electric cur receptacle above the wax, a gas collecting cham rent to said electrodes to effect decomposition of ber formed above said shield plate, and a con water in Said receptacle by electrolysis, a shield duit leading from said chamber into the engine plate carried by one of said electrodes and in intake conduit for passage of gases thereinto and sulated from the other electrode, said plate being a metal member connected to the engine and Spaced from said cover to be disposed above the said receptacle for passage of heat by conduc liquid level in said receptacle and to form be tion to said wax and thus maintaining it in tween itself and said cover a gas-collecting re molten state. ceptacle, a pipe connection leading from said 6. A hydrogen-oxygen generator adapted to be chamber and adapted to be connected to the en operatively connected to an internal combustion 50 gine intake conduit for passage of gases there engine having an intake conduit, an exhaust into and a metal member connected to said cover gases conduit and a storage battery, said gen and adapted to be connected to the exhaust gases erator comprising a receptacle adapted to hold conduit of the engine to conduct heat to said a predetermined quantity of water, a cover wax and maintain it in molten state. adapted to seal said receptacle at the top, two 55 11. A construction as defined by the preceding electrodes carried by said cover and extending claim 10, said cover being provided with filling substantially to the bottom of the receptacle, opening and means to seal the same. said electrodes being electrically insulated from WALTER, DRABOLD. each other and connected to said battery for pas sage of electric current to said electrodes to effect REFERENCES CITED decomposition of water in Said receptacle by elec The following references are of record in the trolysis, a shield plate carried by one of said elec fle of this patent:

trodes and insulated from the other, said plate UNITED STATES PATENTS being spaced from Said cover to form a gas-col lecting chamber between itself and said cover, 65 Number Nanne Date and a conduit leading from Said chamber into the 1,632,285 Georgi ------------ June 14, 1927 engine intake conduit for passage of gases there 1865,946 Niederreither ------- July 5, 1932 into. 1,876,879 Drabold ----------- Sept. 13, 1932 7. A construction as defined by the preceding 2,157,090 Niederreither ------- May 2, 1939 claim 6, said electrodes being spaced closer at the O bottom of the receptacle than at its top.